Venus And Cupid Woman With A Parrot English Literature Essay

I late visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in an effort to compare a Traditional piece with one from the Modern period. The picture that I chose from the Tradition is Lorenzo Lotto ‘s “ Venus and Cupid. ” The picture is believed to be from the late 1520 ‘s, though no precise day of the month is identified. The medium used is oil on canvas, and the picture ‘s dimensions are 36 3/8 ten 43 7/8 in. ( 92.4 x 111.4 centimeter ) . In 1986, the picture was purchased as a gift by Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, and it is presently located in Gallery 609 of the museum ( metmuseum.org ) . The Modern picture that I selected is “ Woman with a Parrot, ” an 1866 picture by Gustave Courbet. Courbet besides used the oil on canvas medium in making his art. “ Woman with a Parrot ” is 51 ten 77 in. ( 129.5 x 195.6 centimeter ) . Part of the H.O. Havemeyer Collection ( 1929 ) , at present clip the picture is on position in Gallery 811 ( metmuseum.org ) . Both pictures are bound by one glowering similarity: the presence of a bare female topic. In both cases, there is a 2nd topic as well: for Lotto it is a bare kid, for Courbet it is a parrot. The presentation of the bare female organic structure is different in the two pictures, as Lotto ‘s work seems to stress artlessness and pureness, whereas Courbet ‘s high spots a more provocative topic. This differentiation is a critical one, as it marks a stylistic displacement from the Renaissance to the Modern period. While Lotto ‘s picture is vivacious and the designs are flowery, Courbet ‘s picture is dark and drab, with much less focal point on fanciness. Furthermore, Lotto depicts two Roman divinities in his work ; Courbet ‘s topic, while beautiful, is non explicitly represented as being of any godly influence. Interestingly, the medium used by both creative persons is the same, which is demonstrative of the proficient nexus that these pictures ( and the several epochs from which they are from ) portion, despite some of the stylistic and thematic differences.

To to the full determine the significance and significance of the aforesaid graphicss, it is good to first understand a small about the two creative persons being discussed. Lorenzo Lotto was a painter from North Italy, and his work is traditionally placed in the Venetian school. He was born in 1480 in Venice, Italy and died in 1557 in Loreto, Italy. In between, Lotto painted tonss of pieces, many of which affecting spiritual topics. Harmonizing to Humfrey, “ After his decease, ( Lotto ) bit by bit became ignored and so about forgotten ” ( 33 ) . However, art historian Bernard Berenson led a resurgence of involvement in Lotto ‘s work, and his pieces have amassed greater popularity over the past 100 old ages.

Gustave Courbet was born in Ornans, Doubs, France in 1819, and died in La Tour-de-Peliz, Switzerland in 1877, at the age of 58. The Gallic painter/sculptor is most celebrated for plants such as A Burial at Ornans. He is noteworthy for get downing the “ Realism ” motion. McCarthy maintains that Courbet ‘s art work addressed societal issues and pictured coarseness, “ aˆ¦and in making so challenged modern-day academic thoughts of art ” ( 14 ) . To be sum up Courbet ‘s eventful life, one can look to his ain words, as he famously stated: “ I am 50 old ages old and I have ever lived in freedom ; allow me stop my life free ; when I am dead Lashkar-e-Taiba this be said of me: ‘He belonged to no school, to no church, to no establishment, to no academy, least of all to any regime except the regime of autonomy. ” His graphics fell in line with these sentiments, as he systematically defied conventional norms. Unfortunately for Courbet, he would decease as he lived: he was finally exiled and died from heavy imbibing ( McCarthy ) . However, his bequest would transport on, as his manner and technique would act upon his ain coevalss ( Monet, for case ) and artists to come.

Lotto ‘s picture “ Venus and Cupid ” represents many qualities associated with the Renaissance, and the Traditional epoch from which it came, though it marks a going from the really early methods and subjects associated with said period. Traditional Renaissance art was commissioned by the Catholic Church, and many of Lotto ‘s pieces fell into the spiritual class. Harmonizing to Williamson, reredoss and smaller devotional images were commissioned by the Church, and besides utilised oil on canvas. As the Renaissance period progressed, there was a resurgence in focal point on the Classical Period. Hugh Ross Williamson maintains that the High Renaissance brought on humanitarianism, and instead than simply picturing spiritual figures, art began to picture Classical Gods and goddesses every bit good. Venus was a critical figure during this clip, and many have gone every bit far as to compare her to Eve and/or Mary in the Christian religion. Clearly, Lotto ‘s picture embraces the alterations brought on by humanitarianism and the resurgence of Classicism. In fact, although traditional in many respects, the picture is one of Lotto ‘s few that represents mythology. The two figures depicted in the picture are two of the most of import in Roman mythology: Cupid and Venus. Both figures are associated with love, which is a subject made tangible in Lotto ‘s work.

Metmuseum.org asserts that Lotto ‘s picture is classified as a “ painted epithalamium, the classical term for poetries composed to observe a matrimony. ” The topic was instead typical in this clip, and by and large the thought is that Cupid is waking up his female parent Venus so that she may transport out her responsibilities as the goddess of love and preside over nuptials ceremonials. Many of the picture ‘s inside informations indicate a matrimony subject ; for illustration, Venus ‘ flowery jewellery and decor emphasize love and matrimony: “ The knotted thread watchbands are emblems of love, good known from Renaissance poesy ” ( metmuseum.org ) . Besides, the flowers and workss depicted in the picture service to foreground similar thoughts sing matrimony: “ The roses scattered on her organic structure and in the foreground were non merely Venus ‘s flower par excellence, but they were besides indispensable characteristics of classical and Renaissance nuptials ceremonials, together with the myrtle garland the figure is keeping ” ( metmuseum.org ) Furthermore, Cupid ‘s rendition in this picture helps to make a light and joyful temper. He is shown smiling and urinating on his female parent, which seems to be a humourous act of immatureness and juvenile exhilaration.

Despite Venus ‘ nakedness, the gender in the picture is understated for a few grounds. First, with Venus ‘ boy next to her, the nakedness takes on a maternal instead than titillating quality. Besides, Venus ‘ legs are closed, and flower petals cover up her private country. As such, the scene is tasteful, and even the act of micturition is shown in a manner that is more humourous than degrading.

Another noteworthy quality in the picture is the usage of deepness and position. Williamson references that depth began to germinate in art throughout the Renaissance period, peculiarly with the coming of humanitarianism. Clearly in this picture, there is a sense of deepness, as Cupid is standing behind his female parent, and one of her legs is in dorsum of the other.

“ Woman with a Parrot ” clangs with many of the subjects of Tradition. As aforesaid, Courbet was concerned with depiction world, even if it was considered to be rough and/or obnoxious. While both Lotto and Courbet show a bare figure in their pictures, there are some differences with how Courbet depicts his topic. Courbet ‘s figure, foremost of all, is non anyone of classical significance, allow entirely the goddess of love. There is a certain tastefulness implied merely by Venus ‘ stature, which Courbet ‘s capable deficiencies. The manner she is puting out with her legs somewhat unfastened indicates a grade of promiscuousness, every bit good. Furthermore, Courbet, whose art work systematically clashed with academic art, represents a topic here that sufficiently offended its audience: “ viewing audiences were shocked by the presence of the theoretical account ‘s discarded vesture and disheveled hair ” ( metmuseum.org ) . Courbet ‘s image surely evokes a much more titillating tone than Lotto ‘s, as his topic is sprawled out with a bird on her manus, and no kid in sight to advance the artlessness that Cupid accomplishes in Lotto ‘s.

Courbet does stay somewhat traditional in the theoretical account ‘s airs, flesh tones, and concealment of the vaginal country ( here covered by a cover merely ) , but most of the picture is symbolic of a interruption with traditional ideals. As compared with the vibrant red in Lotto ‘s picture, Courbet ‘s contains really dark colourss, about functioning to stress the darker side of adult female. It is really important that the topic is non of any honored nature, and is merely a “ regular adult female, ” as this is something that would non be depicted in traditional art.

Courbet ‘s picture does go on the patterned advance of deepness, as there is clearly background and foreground. The other critical similarity is the medium, as a somewhat traditional oil and canvas is used here. Although technically there are some similarities with Lotto ‘s picture, the temper and subject seem to be contrasting.

I chose these two pictures because they both depicted, on the surface, a similar topic, but there are several differences that stress the alterations that have occurred throughout art history. “ Venus and Cupid ” works with a known subject in Renaissance art and adds a visible radiation, humourous sentiment to it. The picture made me experience joyful. In my research, I was most surprised to larn that Lotto by and large did non roll from spiritual images. Upon ab initio sing this picture, I thought the creative person must hold specialized in picturing classical figures. Possibly Lotto, coming from a strictly spiritual vantage point, sought to sabotage Roman mythology in his word pictures of Cupid and Venus. Although the work is really tasteful, and corsets in line with many of the recognized qualities of traditional art, there is a sense of mischievousness at drama with Cupid and his smirk as he bothers his female parent. The whole scene is really challenging from a ocular and conceptual point of view. I would wish to execute extra research on epithalamium as a consequence of sing the picture, as I find the matrimony jubilation subject to be intriguing.

I chose “ Woman with a Parrot ” after Lotto ‘s picture, because I felt it would do for an interesting and complex comparing piece. Here one can see the apposition of two bare females: one a goddess, one a common adult female ; one adorned in jewellery and inexperienced person in nature, one looking messy and peculiarly seductive. The differences in colour service to stress the light vs. dark, good vs. evil thought that exists upon analysis of the two pictures. While Courbet ‘s topic is non evil, per Se, there is a darker side attributed to her, and she represents a much more modern adult female. It is clear that Courbet intended to interrupt from tradition with this picture, as he depicts the worlds of his society, and the type of adult female that is its byproduct.